Help me Understand

[Keithc8]

I do believe any good engine builder and or engine machinist could build a FE engine. Most people think when they take a engine apart and have all of those parts machine and then re-assemble the same parts they have done a rebuild and they have, but when you want to make good HP with a FE you better know the weak points and what needs to be midified. If you want a 400 to 500HP FE engine it is no big deal but if you want a 650 to 850 FE engine you better know a little bit about these engines. Most people do not know enough about oiling systems, clearances, camshafts, valvetrain geometry, head preperation and assembling an engine with parts that never came together. When all the machine work is done right, parts balanced, the right parts picked out and checked then it is a lot easier to build. I have people that want us to machine everything, balance assembly, do the heads, check bearing clearances, check piston to valve clearance and tell them where to degree the camshaft, figure out valve train geometry, mill the intake to fit, figure the compression, gap rings and then take apart the stuff we checked and give them all of the parts so they can say they assembled the engine like it iis a big deal after that is all done, but if they are happy I am happy. Some times they get it together right and it cost about the same amount when we do this. There are differences in engines, just like we have done several LS1 and Modular engines and they are very different than some of this earlier stuff.
We are even using a proflomometer {not sure I spelled that right} to check the cylinder finish for proper ring seal. Things have changed, this thing set me back about 2300.00 and you have to check every cylinder in the block. Just when I think it should get easier it keeps getting harder. Nothing 500,000 to 1,000,000 won't fix if you want to do everything right. Good luck to everyone on all of there projects and if you hear of anyone that would like to do this engine thing full time I will sell them a turn key set up, I couldn't get that lucky. Keith